Shoveling or digging device.



" W- .l. KVEATING.

SHOVELING 0R DIGGING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAYH. 1915- l Patented Mar. 6, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I W. J. KEA'HNG.

. SHOVELING 0R D'IGGIN'G DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAYJI, I915.

Patented M11116, 1917.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

.J. KEATING- SHOVEUNG 0R DIGGING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED mun. 19:5.

3! l elliea/h'n swans-sneer 3.

Patented Mar. 6, 1917.

WILLIAM J. KEATING, OF ESCANABA, MICHIGAN.

SHOVELING on meenve DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent. I Y

Patented Mar. 6, 1917.

Application filed May 17, 1915. Serial No. '28,593.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that I, WILLIAM J. KEATING, a citizen of the l nited States, residing at llscanaba. in the county of Delta and State of Michigan. have invented new and useful Improvements in h'hoveling or Digging Devices, of which the following is a specification.

' This invention relates to an improved shoveling or digging device adapted for use in excavating. mining, ditching, handling grain, and other uses wherein hand shovels are employed. This invention has for an object to provide a device of this character which may be manually held under tension against the material to be shoveled; which is continuous in operation, or wherein a plurality of digging and lifting devices are employed for loosening, picking up and carrying the material to the desired point of discharge; which acts as a shovel, or in other words, which not only digs into the material and loosens it but which also raises o'r elevates the material and discharges it at the will of the operator; which is provided with means for loosening hard material to be dug'when the material cannot be dug up by the buckets alone; which is relatively compact. is provided with a self contained operating motor, and which may be adjusted by hand into various angular and longitudinal positions with respect to its support; which may be applied with the desired pressure against the material to be shoveled, which may yield as required for its successful and continuous operation; and which may be mounted on a truck, suspended from a supporting cable, or secured to any adaptable support.

Briefly, the' invention comprises a frame on which are mounted a plurality of shovels, and upon which is disposed a motor for operating the shovels to bring the same one at a time into position for digging, and a hand operated mechanism connected to this frame to admit of the various adjustments of the frame by hand, and to admit of the exertion of desired pressure by hand of the frame against the material to be shoveled, and thus providing a machine which is re sponsive to the natural movement of the hand, and which will yield when submitted to undue tension. The above and other objects and advantages of this invention will be more clearly brought out in the following detail disclosure of the present preferred embodiment of the invention, the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which,-

Figure his a side elevation of the improved shoveler or digger applied to a truck, the full and dotted lines showing different positions of adjustment.

Fig. 2 is a similar view thereof, enlarged and in position to be transported.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the frame and base therefor.

Fig. 5' is a fragmentary view of the forward end of the device showing means for loosening the. material to be dug.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the improved shoveler or digger supported by suspension from an overhead cable. I

Referring to these drawings, wherein like parts are designated by similar characters of reference throughout the several views, 10 designates the base or main suppoit for the improvedshoveler. This base 10 is in the form ofan elongated guide-way or trackadapted to be mounted on any suitable support hereinafter referred to.

An elongated frame 11 is mounted for longitudinal movement on the base, and is adapted to be adjusted by a rack 12 carried preferably on the base 10, and a pinion 13 mounted preferably upon the frame 11 and engaging the rack 12. The pinion 13 is fixed on a shaft 14 having a suitable handle 15, by means of which the pinion may be rotated to traverse the rack 12 and move the frame 11 longitudinally upon the base 10.

The frame 11 may be of any suitable form, but preferably is of rectanguh r shape, is elongated, and carries in its opposite ends relatively large sprocket wheels 16 over which passes an endless chain l7.

The sprocket wheels 16 are mounted on forward and rear shafts 18 and 19 respectively. The shaft'19 is preferably a power shaft, and is connected to an internal combustion engine 20 as shown, or any other adaptable type of motor which is capable of movement with the frame 11. I

Upon the chain 17 are arranged a plurality of spaced apart shovels 21. These shovels each comprise a receptacle having teeth 22 at-its engaging edge adapted to bite into the-material to be lifted and to thus insure'the separation of the material with the least possible resistance.

The forward end of the frame 11 is provided with means for loosening or cutting relatively hard material so that the same may be readily lifted by the shovels 21. This means, as shown in Fig. 5, comprises a pair of opposed cutters 23 fixed upon the,

outer ends of a pair of shafts 24 suitably journaled in the frame 11 and extending forwardly thereof, and having connection with the main drive shaft 19 through the bevel gears 25. It will be noted that these cutters are located forwardly of the shovels 21 when the latter is in its foremost position and the shafts 21 are reinforced by means of a strip 26 bracing the shafts and holding the cutters in position.

As shown in Fig. 1 the shoveler is mounted upon a truck or carriage '27 of any adaptable form, the base 10 being preferably hinged to the forward end of the truck, as at admitting the elevation of the rear end of the base 10 to swing the shoveler into various positions above the base.

The means for raising this base 10 may be as desired, but one form being shown in the present drawings as comprising poles 29 hinged at one end upon the opposite sides of the frame 11 near the rear end thereof, and adapted for engagement at their opposite ends with the base 10 to support the frame 11 at the desired angle.

If desired, the improved shoveler may be supported-by suspension from the block and tackle shown in Fig. 4 of the present drawings. In this Fig. 4 it will be noted that the base 10 is connected to a. pair of links 30, and that the latter are secured adjustably by the block and tackle 31, to a suspension cable 32, the latter being disclosed in the present instance as being stretched between and supported upon spaced apart uprights 33. The block and tackle 31 is also provided with adjusting chains 31, or

' other like devices, having connection with the opposite ends of the base 10 for swinging the base into various angles about the links 30 so as to engage the forward end of the shoveler in the earth or material to be shoveled. It is of course understood that the improved shoveler may discharge into wagons, cars, or the like, which are located beneath the inner end of the frame 11, or may discharge into a chute leading to the desired place of deposit of the material.

It is of course understood that it is within the spirit of this invention to mount the base 10 in any suitable manner, and upon any adaptable support; the invention residing in a continuous shoveling device as above set forth, a device'which may be fed forward by hand, and a device wherein the pressure against the material being shoveled may be regulated by hand to thus prevent breakage of the parts and effect the complete and satisfactory operation .of the machine.

From the above the operation of the device is apparent, for when the support is in the desired location the base 10 may be swung into the required angle, the motor 20 set in motion to drive the endless chain 17 with its. shovels 21, and the handle 15 rotated to advance the frame 11 and its shovels 21 fori'vardly against the material. The teeth of the shovels engage in the material and separate and loosen the same, and the shovels pick up the loosened material and carry it bm'kwardly upon the frame 11 to any desired point of deposit. During this operation the handle 1:) is held under tension by the hand of the operator so as to continuously feed the frame 10 forwardly as the shovels work against the material and carry it away, and to permit of the yielding of the frame and the shovels when subjected to undue pressure or shock.

It is of course understood that various changes or modifications may be made in the above described machine without departing from the spirit of this invention, the modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

lVhat is claimed is 1. A shoveler comprising a support; a base pivotally mounted on the support; a frame slidable longitudinally on the base, manually operated means for controlling the slidable movement of the frame on the base; a plurality of shovelers carried by the frame for engagement with the material to be shoveled; cutters on the frame and a motor on the frame having pivotal and longitudinal movement therewith and having connection with the shovelers to continuously operate the same.

2. A shoveler or digging device comprising a base; a rack on the base; a frame slidable longitudinally of the base; a plurality of shovels carried on the frame; means on the frame for continuously operating said shovels; a pinion carried by the frame engaging the rack; a handle connected to the pinion for turning the same to yieldingly advance the frame against the material being shoveled during the operation of said shovels and cutters supported on the frame for loosening the material for the shovels.

3. A shoveling or digging devioe comprising a base, means for adjustably supporting the base at various angles with respect to the material to be dug, a frame adjustable longitudinally on the base, an endless belt carried upon the frame, spacedapart buckets on the belt adapted to dig into the material, cutters supported on the means between the frame and base for advancing and retracting the frame with the cutters and shovels to and from the material being operated upon and during the operation of said shovels and cutters.

4. A shoveling or digging device comprising a base. a frame on the base, a plurality of shovels mounted on the frame for engaging and picking up the material, operating means for the shovels, a pair of-supports in direct line with the frame and fastened thereto. cutters mounted on the forwardend of the frame immediately in front of the shovels adapted to loosen the material to be picked up by the shovels, and means for revolving said cutters inopposite directions.

5. A shoveling or digging device comprising a base, a frame on the base, an endless carrier mounted on the frame, a plurality of buckets mounted on thecarrier adapted to project beyond one end of the frame for digging into and picking up the material to be dug, a pair of supports extending beyond and immediately in front of the frame, a pair of cutters carried by the supports immediately in advance ofthe projecting buckets. and means for operating the cutters simultaneously with the buckets.

ters and rotating the 6. A shoveling or digging device compris- I in combination, a support, a base pivotally mounted on the support, a frame slidable longitudinally on the base, a hand-operable means for controlling movement of the frame on the base, a plurality of shovels for engagement shoveled, sha fts the shovels and the cutters, and shafts geared to said motor for supporting the cutsame 111 opposite directions to loosen the material immediately in front of the shovels. it I In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses. v WILLIAM J. KEATING. Witnesses HENRY R. DoTsoH, CLARA C. LANG.

and positioned on' 

